THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 3, 1996 TAG: 9605030509
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
Pier fishing was fair along the northern beaches Thursday.
On Kitty Hawk Pier, a few sea mullet, small gray trout and small croakers were landed.
Anglers on Avalon Pier caught spot and sea mullet off and on all day.
Nags Head Pier reported a few sea mullet, small gray trout, croakers, skates and dogfish taken.
Sea mullet, spot, croaker and pigfish were landed from Outer Banks Pier during most of the morning. But with the afternoon change of tide, fishing slowed.
On Hatteras Island, anglers on Rodanthe Pier caught some 2-pound bluefish early in the morning. A few bluefish and keeper gray trout were taken during the remainder of the day.
Avon Pier reported a pretty day for fishing but few fish. Fishermen caught only a few gray trout, pigfish, spot and croaker.
On Frisco Pier, plenty of sea mullet and some scattered bluefish were landed throughout the day.
Surf fishing along the beach from Corolla to Oregon Inlet was generally slow.
Small bluefish, gray trout and scattered sea mullets were hauled from the surf between Rodanthe and Buxton.
At Cape Point some small bluefish, gray trout and small bottom fish were taken. Nice-size flounders were beached along the south side of Cape Point inside the ``hook.''
Surf fishermen along the beach from Frisco to Hatteras Inlet reported a few small croaker, spot, sea mullet and several flounder landed.
The headboat Crystal Dawn out of Pirates Cove Marina reported fair catches of speckled trout and croakers in Oregon Inlet.
Bluewater action off Oregon Inlet was slow. Charters landed a few tuna, dolphin and king mackerel. A couple billfish were released. Charters off Hatteras reported fairly good catches of tuna and dolphin. Several billfish were fought and released.
The water temperature was 53 degrees Thursday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck and 68 degrees at the Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.
This weekend should be productive for anglers along the Dare coast. Sea mullet fishing should be good along the oceanfront. When the wind switches to the southwest, a good run of drum should develop at Cape Point. by CNB